COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — State health officials say a Dorchester County woman is the first person in South Carolina to die from the flu this season.

The Department of Health and Environmental Control said Thursday that the woman was the first lab-confirmed, influenza-associated death of the season. No other details about her were given.

DHEC says there were 46 flu-related deaths in South Carolina last flu season and 1,720 flu-associated hospitalizations.

State epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell says getting vaccinated is important for everyone six months and older and points out that it takes about two weeks for the vaccine to build up in someone’s body in order to prevent the flu.